Typically by now, we’d have made one or two 25-man projections for Opening Day, but the strange reality of this year’s Spring Training is that the roster seems to have grown more in flux as time has gone rather than the contrary. Jorge Polanco’s 80-game suspension threw a wrench into the mix, and as of right now, the Twins still have no idea if Miguel Sano will be suspended to start the season.
So with that said, here’s what we’re projecting for an Opening Day roster, with the only caveat being that we reserve the right to be totally, wholly wrong.
Position players (12)
- C – Jason Castro
- 1B – Joe Mauer
- 2B – Brian Dozier
- 3B – Eduardo Escobar
- SS – Ehire Adrianza
- LF – Eddie Rosario
- CF – Byron Buxton
- RF – Max Kepler
- DH – Logan Morrison
This is simple enough. If Sano is cleared, he goes to third, Escobar goes to short, Adrianza heads to the bench and you lop a pitcher off the front of the bullpen. This should be a pretty good offense, by the way. Only three offenses scored more runs in the AL last year:
- Houston – of course
- New York – they only got better with the addition of Giancarlo Stanton
- Cleveland – vulnerable with the loss of Carlos Santana and maybe Jay Bruce
It’s possible, if not likely, the Twins can overtake Cleveland for that No. 3 spot, as they only finished three runs behind the Indians last year.
- C – Mitch Garver
- IF – Erick Aybar
- OF – Robbie Grossman
It seems a little short, but honestly, there won’t be much of a need for bench players early. Garver might form a quasi-platoon behind the plate with Castro, Aybar is there for insurance and Grossman is a useful bat who can fill in here or there. With a sturdy starting lineup, this is more injury protection than it is late-game pinch hitting and running. On a good team, that’s OK.
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Pitching staff (13)
- SP – Jake Odorizzi
- SP – Jose Berrios
- SP – Kyle Gibson
- SP – Lance Lynn
The four-man staff means a couple things. First of all, it means the bullpen is going to be awfully crowded. Secondly, it means there’ll be quite a few moves coming once Ervin Santana gets back to health. That might mean some unpopular/difficult decisions on Rule 5 pick Tyler Kinley, veteran Phil Hughes and potentially some solid relievers who still have options (i.e. Tyler Duffey or Taylor Rogers).
- RP – Fernando Rodney
- RP – Addison Reed
- RP – Trevor Hildenberger
- RP – Ryan Pressly
- RP – Taylor Rogers
- RP – Zach Duke
- RP – Tyler Duffey
- RP – Tyler Kinley
- RP – Phil Hughes
The good thing about this bunch is not only is it better in quantity, but also quality. There’s more insulation near the back end, and if Rodney falters (300 career saves), Reed (125) is more than capable of filling in. As a result, the Twins don’t have to worry about a domino effect of having to shoehorn someone like Hildenberger into the closer role, or someone like Gabriel Moya or John Curtiss into dicier situations than they’re prepared for at this point in their careers.
It also gives Paul Molitor the ability to bring Kinley along slowly, to see if he really has what it takes to pitch in the big leagues. It’s also possible the Twins could work out a trade, and bring Moya to the big leagues and let Kinley get his feet wet at Triple-A. This is a guy who spent a large chunk of time in High-A last year, after all.
Opening on DL/Out
- SS Jorge Polanco (suspended, eligible to return late June)
- 3B Miguel Sano (status unclear)
- SP Ervin Santana (due back mid-May)
- SP Trevor May (no earlier than June 1)
- SP Michael Pineda (second half)
Just missed
- OF Zack Granite
- SP Adalberto Mejia
- RPs Alan Busenitz/Gabriel Moya
